Chapter 6: Jellyfish?

Chapter 6: Jellyfish?

Sui Xin cursed inwardly but still discarded his helmet and rushed to the equipment case. He grabbed a high-temperature oil grenade and tossed it to Pang Xinkai.

"Throw it at the ceiling! Quickly!"

Open the skylight?

Opening it would bring in cold air... but not opening it meant death!

Pangox had also been tempered by war, and speed was crucial in battle, but it wasn't entirely up to him now — this mysterious girl was like a ticking time bomb; she'd already pulled the pin, and he had no choice but to get rid of it or risk it detonating in his hands!

Wasn't she toxic?!

He had no options left, terrified as he was. Without hesitation, he pushed open the skylight, and the terrifying cold rushed in, instantly frosting over everyone's protective suits...

Bruce was only a meter away from the vehicle when it began to levitate, its garment unfolding to cover them...

But suddenly, a projectile was fiercely thrown out.

Bang! It pierced through Bruce's body and smashed into the ceiling of the cave, activating something right on target!

The shrill screech originated from the rapid reaction between the energy substance inside the object and the oxygen, creating an ear-piercing chemical sound, akin to ice cubes being dropped into hot oil, sizzling with a sharp and piercing tone.

After Xin passed the object to Pengxi, she retreated back to her spot and quickly hid her small head inside her helmet. However, being naturally observant, she didn't forget to use the magnifying function of the helmet to see that Bruce's widened cloak outside the glass window had distorted, shrinking in size.

Huh?

Didn't most energy and material attacks prove ineffective against it?

So direct heat could actually harm it, causing its body to twist and shrink?

If that was the case, there was a way to deal with it. However, given its ability to stretch infinitely and change its density—after all, it was a gaseous creature—nothing short of sealing it in high heat or covering it with a vast amount of the large object would likely have a fatal effect on it.

Outside, intense sparks filled the view, shining like fireworks.

Within a five-meter radius, heat and light blossomed like petals scattered by a celestial maiden, enveloping three or four vehicles within S501.

The sparks whizzed down, landing on the car bodies.

The vehicle's composition could withstand such an assault for now, limiting the damage to superficial burns...

But the temperature was rising.

Even Cold Garb Bruce retreated due to the sudden increase in heat.

It disliked high temperatures, intensely so!

"It's retreating!"

"Effective!"

"However..."

The crowd was overjoyed but their bodies were stiff, for the lid above had yet to be closed!

What was Pengke doing? !

Amidst their shock and panic, they saw that due to his massive size, Pengke was more susceptible to the cold. His palm, which had previously been close to the lid's opening, was the first to be engulfed by the icy chill. Before he could withdraw his arm, it was frozen in place. The frost found a foothold and swiftly froze his entire arm, along with half of his body. He was immobilized and naturally unable to close the lid in time.

The lid was open, and the frigid air rushed in swiftly. Though it wasn't as terrifying as Bruce, it was still deadly. The car's interior quickly frosted over, and Sui Xin felt his helmet's field of vision being obscured by icy patterns. His body turned stiff from the cold.

It's over.

Bruce might have retreated temporarily, but...

Fortunately, Chucks, taking advantage of the fact that his skin was only frozen, lunged forward with great speed, hooking his legs onto Balthazar's body. Snap!

The lid closed shut.

The icy air was sealed outside, leaving a residual chill within the vehicle. Everyone was still freezing, but at least they were now safe from the immediate danger of freezing to death. With the car sealed, the temperature inside would rise—assuming the vehicle didn't malfunction, the heat circulation worked, and Bruce stayed away!

"Look outside, it's coming!"

Just what they didn't want to see, happened!

Having narrowly escaped freezing to death, they saw Bruce, who had retreated slightly, reopen his icy cloak and envelop them once more. He was already nearby.

Radiant intensity surged, a chilling white glow enveloping everything.

They were panic-stricken, all prepared for the inevitable, and some even attempted to flee in their vehicles – in the face of death, human rationality plummeted, and primal instincts took over.

The only one seemingly calm was Xin, whose expression under her helmet remained unknown. Her body merely trembled feigning fear.

Well, it was actually due to the cold.

There was no need for pretense.

But she wasn't panicked.

Because...

Ye Chen suddenly exclaimed, "Wait, Bruce... it's..."

In the midst of despair, as Bruce was about to engulf the vehicle, it suddenly retreated.

As if repelled by disgust, it moved aside.

Confusion swept through the crowd, but they soon realized why.

Because Bruce had also abandoned the adjacent vehicle.

—There were still faint sparks flickering on that car.

Although the explosion's impact was instantaneous, the debris it scattered was flammable. A few scattered sparks remained on the car's surface, causing some damage to the material. However, for Bruce, who liked to unfold his coat completely to cover cold objects, the presence of those low-temperature sparks triggered an almost instinctive aversion.

It was a bet on a creature's inherent nature!

The entity retreated, searching for the two vehicles on the outside that hadn't been contaminated by the lingering fiery debris. But at this moment...

"The thermal cycle has begun."

They witnessed the patterns on the car's surface glow with red light as heat started circulating. The frost rapidly dissipated, and the interior temperature began to recover.

All the remaining vehicles successfully initiated their thermal cycles.

After all, they had lost some time beforehand. With the continuous increase in energy consumption to boost efficiency, the thermal cycles eventually kicked in.

The frost on the car exteriors rapidly retreated. To Bruce, it was as if a cluster of blue entities in an infrared image had collectively transformed into red ones.

It favored blue and despised red!

Thus... it didn't attempt to cover any more vehicles.

"Phew, we managed to withstand it."

"I've only heard of Bruce, never actually seen it. It's terrifying. When did the Crimson Zone acquire such an existence?"

In essence, Bruce was an extraordinary entity that frontline combatants of ordinary conglomerates would neither be able to handle nor have the chance to encounter.

"They should be targeting those disciples, oh my god!"

"This mission is getting more bizarre by the minute."

"It hasn't given up yet."

Bruce circled around, continuously unleashing even more terrifying cold to blanket the entire cave.

Within a confined space, sooner or later, the intense cold would surpass the vehicle's heat circulation capabilities — energy was finite, and under full depletion, it would eventually run out. That would be its opportunity.

Infrangible at subzero temperatures.

Everyone was anxious, knowing that if this persisted, they were bound to lose.

Should they drive out?

With Bruce's speed in flight, there was a chance they wouldn't be caught, at least it would be better than waiting to die here.

But they couldn't. It was still the period of radiation outside, and the radiant light was something the vehicle couldn't withstand.

A dilemma!

Just as Sui Xin was feeling frustrated... Huh?

"It seems to be moving outward."

Indeed, had Bruce given up?

Not right!

"It's the zone of light that's moving... It seems to be chasing after the illuminated area. I suspect its emergence is somehow connected to the Frostfall Light."

Sui Xin, being the most knowledgeable among them, offered this analysis, and the others found it convincing.

After Bruce left the cave, his winter coat soared higher, eventually becoming a terrifying garment within the light, tracking the shifting illuminated zone.

As long as they remained within the light, it might be moving along the core of the phenomenon. Regardless, the secrets surrounding the creatures and the climate of the relic area were beyond their comprehension. For now, they knew only that the immediate crisis had passed.

Pangos had regained much of his strength, his robust physique allowing the frost to melt significantly. Shivering, he commented, "That was rather frightening. Why did the Frostfall happen all of a sudden? Is this kind of weather normal?"

The others looked to Sui Xin, who rubbed his nose pensively and replied, "Have you ever seen normal weather in any relic area? Without these bizarre climates, there would be no relic areas at all."

Indeed.

Sui Xin pressed his face against the window, observing the frost outside, particularly the pattern of the frost crystals on the glass. He mused aloud, "This must be related to the Red Sea's five-year oceanic current cycle reaching its climax sooner than expected – at least half a year earlier than usual. Moreover, it didn't just appear today; it must have been around for some time, making it even more premature."

Climate changes were always peculiar, and the group perceived them as dangers rather than delving into their underlying causes.

Ye Chen asked, "How long will it last? Every day like this?"

Sui Xin replied, "If there weren't the thermal effects in this area, it might just pass like a flood, but the cold and hot air currents circulate in the ecosystem. Due to the difference in environment between the interior and exterior of the ruins, which is somewhat enclosed, it amplifies the circulation. Hence, it alternates repeatedly, similar to the large temperature difference between day and night in desert areas. That's roughly the principle, but I don't know much more. Lately, the group has almost no intelligence on Sector BO5 of the Crimson Zone."

It was possible that they did have some information, but it wasn't accessible to frontline combatants, not even to an analyst like her who was at the bottom rung. Perhaps only middle-ranking analysts had access.

"However, although my position and department don't give me much insight into Bruce, some disciples of the group who went on missions to the Azure Zone would gossip in the break room. I once heard someone say that these seemingly mysterious supernatural beings are actually still living organisms."

They knew that as well. The destruction of the ecosystem, the radiation, and the resulting biological mutations had caused species to deviate from their original genetic paths. Even though someone like Bruce, with his mysterious cloak, seemed less than biological, he was indeed still a living organism.

However, there was still a traceable lineage for the Sand Mambas. They hadn't drifted too far from their ancestors. Bruce, on the other hand, was ridiculous. With their limited experiences and sources of information, they simply couldn't comprehend him.

Jenny couldn't help looking at Sui Xin. The latter took off her helmet again and carefully wiped the frost off it. She said, "I don't know if it's true or not, but I've heard someone say that many incredible creatures can be traced back to the ecological origins of the ruins. For example, the ecological origins here in the Crimson Zone consist of two parts: the volcanic body and the deep-sea descent zone. Together, they create a tropical island climate. The oldest and most mysterious creatures are found in the depths of the sea. Many of them were unexplored even during the peaceful era hundreds of years ago. Take Bruce, for instance. Don't you think he resembles a jellyfish?"

What the hell?!

Ye Chen and Jenny exchanged glances.

A jellyfish?

Upon hearing this theory, everyone began to reflect on it carefully.

The ability to transform into a flexible form, turn invisible, possess an innate coldness of the deep sea, and move in various ways...

Indeed, there were striking similarities.

"But can a creature adapted to the deep sea really shift into a floating state at high altitudes? That's quite a leap, wouldn't it require a complete transformation of their genetic structure?"

Faced with such skepticism, Sui Xin wasn't entirely convinced either. "I don't believe it myself, but I've studied some natural evolution history. It seems that throughout the stages of biological development, creatures have evolved from aquatic to terrestrial and aerial forms. It's just a matter of mutations in specific organs. What we find implausible might have seemed equally absurd to people a few centuries ago. Radiation is the catalyst for genetic changes, while climate change acts as an external incubator. It accelerates the mutation of genes affected by radiation, ultimately leading to the transformation of species. Often, it takes just one opportunity or trigger for these changes to occur."

That did make sense.

For a moment, the group fell silent, pensive.

The world had undergone such dramatic changes that creatures no longer resembled their former selves. Only humans were struggling to survive.

It wasn't that humans hadn't changed; their transformations often stemmed from civilization and ideology.

Wars originated from thoughts and desires.

Certainly, as they were being overwhelmed by advanced mystic knowledge and contemplating humanity's relationship with the natural world, Sui Xin, a connoisseur of culture, thought to herself with a straight face, "Pardon me, but that so-called disciple who was chatting in the tea room was none other than myself. I was just spouting nonsense on the spot. Scared? Good! Now hurry and run away. Don't go to any outposts. If you defect, I'll have a reason not to go."

While the concept of deep-sea jellyfish was something she had imagined, it was entirely untested, and believing it would only lead to embarrassment.

-------------------------

Everyone's mood sank even further. A shadow passed over Ye Chen's eyes. "The energy we have now, combined with what we took from the Red-Eyes today, can probably sustain 12 hours of thermal circulation. But we need to conserve some for emergencies, so realistically, we have about eight hours at most."

"If it goes beyond eight hours, we'll be in grave danger."

Without the stolen energy and gasoline, this time frame would be significantly shorter, making the situation even more perilous.

Sui Xin noticed that Ye Chen was still looking at her as he spoke.

"I'm not certain. My previous work focused on historical and environmental analysis, specifically in the field of archaeological climatology. I don't know much about it, but from what I've heard from other analysts, the initial phase seems to be the most damaging. During that time, the frost radiation is strongest and has penetrative power. Even with thermal circulation, direct exposure could cause severe harm to any material, especially living organisms, affecting cells. Once the radiation period passes and frost spreads across the ground, it's mainly just cold."

Jenny asked, "Can we drive through it?"

Sui Xin replied, "I think so, but we'll have to endure the radiation period first."

Ye Chen's expression calmed down.

"Suffer through it then!"

Sui Xin pondered for a moment and said, "Suffer until you wake me up."

"May I have my ear protectors back now, please?"